Aftermath
by My Vantilene
Summary: It wasn't the annihilation they had come to expect, but it wasn't exactly their happily ever after either. It was a bittersweet middle road, and it has made all the difference. RxD DxJ JxJ KxT SxA  Good luck figuring those abbreviations out.
1. Chapter 1

The nattily complex was a great marker of how far they had come. With its polished mahogany tables, glossy, hardwood flooring, and overall honey complexion, it became something of a standard for future buildings waiting to be erected. The smarter of the ex-Prospitians and Dersites were given the task of running the fine establishment, and their service mirrored the elegance and refined taste loyal patrons had come to expect.

Pfft. What am I saying? It's a surprise those black-and-white-carapaced sycophants can even poor a drink without spilling it on themselves, but Rose had wanted a bar. The remaining trolls and humans had siphoned enough grist from Past John to appease her wishes and prevent another Grimdark Rose accident. Last time that happened, a hollow, newborn library was brought to its knees and the rest of Lubress's residents were forced to hide all the pictures of Rose's mom in a time capsule.

Lubress. That's what they named that hunk of rock destined for repopulation. They were trying to piece their universes back together, and attempt to obtain some semblance of a home. Lubress was all they got. Not that it was ugly or anything, it was actually quite stunning a planet, but reconstruction was going slower than they wanted, and only a few trolls were working towards repopulation. And there, of course, was the curse they had yet to fix. Doc Scratch doesn't give out property without a price. They had just a few sweeps to replenish Lubress, lest the universe explode.

What could Doc get out of this little arrangement? No idea. I wouldn't peg him as a sadist, but it's surely possible he just wants to watch a universe explode. Maybe pop a little popcorn, screw open the top of a glass Coke, nestle in the clouds like an angel cliché, and listen to the screams from down below. Nothing's set in stone, but that's my guess.

So far, they had two towns built. The small planet was sized to harbor at least twelve. It had already been one and half years.

Some had already given up; marked on their calendars so accurately precise was the date of apocalypse. Sollux and Aradia had been more accepting, but were determined to live out the rest of their lives happily together. Kanaya went through a bit of a Rainbow Drinking crisis, but recovered and eventually came to terms with the universe ending. Gamzee went missing for a few weeks, but when he returned, he was chill as well. Karkat and Terezi were the only trolls left with hope, and they were acting on it as if it was a whispered instruction from God. No one worried about the humans' faith. They were persistent and like hell they would be deterred so easily.

And while the building did nothing to assist their community-esque reconstruction efforts, it was something of a milestone, to show how intricately their salvaged civilization was enhancing, how much hope there was left for the rest of them. But for Rose, of course, it served a much different function. It was her haven, the place to go when she felt able, necessary, or just plain simply had nothing better to do, which seemed like always nowadays. It looked to all other inhabitants of the diminutive planet like she only left the place to sleep in her self-dubbed house. Or maybe it was the other way around. Maybe she only left her home to hold up appearances at the shack she slept in, for her perspective on the manner was truly vice versa. Maybe somewhere along the way, late nights and early mornings served in a mahogany bar stool knitted a dependence or fondness or maybe even an un-breached commitment to the one-shopped franchise. She wasn't suffering from alcoholism, though, it was just that now she could understand her mother's thirst, and was very much successful at living up to that aspect of her life.

That's how John knew where to find her. All it took was a sprinkle of common sense, and a familiarity of the two towns.

He was given no response from the bartender (barista?) upon entrance besides a clawed finger pointing to a seat and then him. He walked over to Rose's stool and hesitantly sat in the adjacent seat. The obsidian Dersite pointed to their wine selection and gave an expression reminiscent of a raised eyebrow when all he ordered was a glass of water.

"If you're going to apologize, don't bother. It's not your fault."

"But I really am sorry, Rose. Truly." He tried, a desperate air to his overall complexion.

"I know you are." She took a thoughtful sip of her apple martini, "That's just the kind of person you are, John. And I'm fine with it, really. I hope you don't find this offensive, but it's not you I'm worried about."

"But — I'm still just really sorry."

"And while it's not you I'm worried about, you're worried about me. You really do have a heart of gold on that sleeve of yours. But there's no need. I'm fine."

"You're not fine, Rose." He folded his arms across his chest and tilted his head to the side, "What was that word you always liked to use? Oh, yeah. Denial."

"I did throw that one around quite a bit, didn't I? But it's irrelevant with my case. Being as involved in psychiatry as I am, wouldn't you say it'd be hard not to notice if something was wrong?"

"I don't know. Maybe we're dealing with this weird loop-hole thing. Like when I couldn't see what my subconscious was drawing on all of my posters. Maybe you can't see the clock properly enough to know how many hours you spend in here."

"Are you suggesting my judgment is bias? You underestimate my devotion to psychiatry. I wouldn't overlook its impartiality even if I was the one with the problem. You insult me."

"Gosh, Rose, I'm sorry. I didn't mean it like that. I'm just saying maybe your subconscious is being all…ninja-like and hiding the fact that you have a problem."

"And now you're questioning my subconscious's fidelity? I assure you, it's not doing a thing behind my back. In fact, it's right in front of me, '_ninja-like_' properties where I can't see them, and hands where I can."

"Ha. You sounded like Dave for a second."

Rose's lips drooped unnoticeably at that.

While Dave had his cool and detached shades to separate his emotions from the physical world, Rose had an invisible mask compiled of visual apathy. Very few times it would slip, but even then, it was ever so slightly and barely noticeable. It seemed like reminders of her and Dave's shared genes were always a special occasion; not the rule, but the exception, thus deriving a rule of its own exception.

"Well."

"I'm sorry."

"I told you it wasn't your fault."

"No, not about that. I know how hearing that kind of stuff bothers you and I said it anyway, that's my fault."

Though surprise buzzed around her head, and begged for further questioning as to either what he meant or how he deduced that so easily, her face remained impassive and maybe even just a tad bit snooty.

"I'm sorry. I don't follow. Why are you apologizing?"

He huffed an exasperated sigh and rolled his eyes.

"Nothing. Never mind. Forget I said anything."

"Oh, now I've gone and made a mess of things. What did I say this time?"

"Maybe you're not the only one in your position, Rose. Maybe when Karkat suggested repopulation, I didn't really want to give a definite answer, and I wasn't ready, but you don't think I had someone in mind too? Rose, you're a great friend, the best, but this just—"

"It's fine. I have enough insight to calculate a relationship between you and me wouldn't work out. I can't fathom how Dave and Jade do it. It's just — we're too different for something compatible. You don't get what my sarcasm means when it really counts, and I'll always second guess your sincerity even though I have no tangible reason to. And I'm not even quite sure on why I do. It's just the way I operate."

_That's how Dave operates too_, John narrowly missed saying.

"You said there was someone you had in mind." She took a sip from her fruity, salt-topped beverage, "Jade…?"

He stuffed his hands in his pockets and looked away. That was all the answer she needed.

"Well, this is really messed up, isn't it?" she let out a soft, bitter laugh and a smile that had nothing to do with mirth, "I mean, imagine if we had quadrants. That would make things even more confusing."

"You know, Rose, it's really subtle. But I think you're less composed when you drink."

"Wait. No, what? I'm still on this quadrant thing it could totally fix ev'r'thing!" She exclaimed with a tipsy air.

"Whoa, Rose, I—"

"'Twas a joke, Egbert."

There was a bit of a quiet moment, because they both knew Dave would've gotten it, and Jade wouldn't have done it. And being reminded just wasn't what they needed right now, when there was so much more to build, to expand on. They had to keep their eyes on the prize of existence instead of moping around a bar all day for such an insignificant cause as unrequited love.

The Dersite finally delivered John's drink and he ripped open the straw.

"So, did you get to see Aradia and Sollux's kid, yet?"

"No, unfortunately, I've been a bit busy."

John snorted, but it went through his straw and caused air pockets to bubble in his drink.

"Well, um, he's an adorable kid…troll…grub-looking…thing…I guess."

"Don't sound too enthusiastic."

"I just…wasn't expecting him to look like that. I mean, he really is a cutie, but I thought the only difference between trolls and humans were horns, blood color, and skin color. It just caught me by surprise."

"Not the only thing that caught you…"

John gave an alarmed look.

"Kanaya told me you fainted. Lucky for you, I heard a certain Gnostic gardener was there to catch you."

John just blushed and stared into the clear liquid contained within his glass, not daring a glance at the blonde.

"Well, what did you expect? We were the only humans there to help with her giving birth. Because, I mean, trolls normally have the mother grub do all that stuff for them, but now it's not an option. And you know Sollux wasn't going to move an inch…but how did Kanaya find out?"

"No idea. Word gets around, I guess."

"What about Terezi and Karkat, hmm? That's going to be one heck of a scream fest. I bet you he'll faint or something."

"Like you?"

"Shut up. Worse than me, 'cause he's Karkat."

"Oh, yes, of course. 'Cause he's Karkat."

"Whatever, you know, Terezi's turned him into something of a housewife. I think he's more excited about the baby — err, wriggler than anyone else."

"Why wouldn't he be, it's his child. Grub. Offspring. Whatever."

"Well, I don't know, I'd peg him as one of those guys who doesn't really care during the whole pregnancy, but when the…_offspring…_ is actually there, he'd gush all over it or something. Then again, I guess I did kind of expect him to act like a douche. But I guess it's more tolerable since he's doing it her name…? I don't know."

"Has he gotten on to you for breathing your stupid human breath in front of her?"

"Yeah."

"Well, it's worse for me. Can't get anywhere near them without him screaming some nonsense about how he can smell the alcohol on me or how the kid could catch my grimdark."

"Still. It's a little exciting, don't you think? I mean, the baby could arrive any day now!"

"I guess a new face around here could be quite refreshing, yes."

"Oh, don't be so formal! You know you're excited too!"

"Hmm."

"Well, anyway, I should probably be heading out. Me and Gamzee are going to see if we can't slay some stray imps for more grist. Roads don't build themselves, you know."

"Shouldn't, um, Dave be going with you two? I mean, doesn't he normally participate in your little grist outings?"

"Actually. I think he might be busy."

This certainly caught her by surprise.

"With what?"

John held open the door with an expectant smile. A dark flash tore through the unblocked threshold, throwing up John's hair and clothes in a mad whirlwind of speed. He chuckled to himself and walked out the door as Dave materialized in the seat he had once claimed.

"One orange Faygo." He told the Dersite.

_AN:_

_Well, that was certainly an interesting little experiment. Hope you guys enjoyed it. I had planned on making this a chapter-fic, but that all depends on reviews. Love it? Hate it? Would like to see an under-appreciated pairing? Lay it on me, bro. As long as you review, I'm chill. You don't even need an account. Just go ahead and press that irresistable button. _

_You know the one. _


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: It's too early in the morning for this.

**extraterrestrialAnchovy, nikkidoesntknow, fruiTmajik** _(unsucessful arrow eaten by FF) __These are my heroes right here. They are everything you are not and so much more. _

_I'm sorry for the late update, I was supposed to start yesterday, because that was my deadline to finish editing, but then things came up. And by things, I mean friends needy for my attention. And then there was that hat funeral. Yeah, just a bunch of irons. All roasting in the fire. _

* * *

Terezi was laid eagle-spread on the twirling blades of grass, effectively pinning some to the ground, while the other half still merrily sifted through the wind. She dug her hands into the earth and upturned a clod of dirt and grass, smiling at the smell of fresh limes and the array of dark chocolate and milk chocolate that mixed in the top soil. She began grinning wildly when the distant smell of candy corn and soft licorice neared her. Now that he was here, maybe she could get just a taste of the sweet and tangy mix.

"Don't you dare lick that."

"But Nubby!"

"No. You have no idea what that could do to the grub. And fuck, Terezi, you should tell someone when you run off like this." He sat down next to her and grunted, "I've been looking everywhere for your sorry ass. Nearly choked Dave in the process."

"Karkat! Do not touch the cool kid! His skin tastes like peaches."

He raised an eyebrow, "And how do you know?"

She just giggled at that.

"Yeah, well, laugh it up. My pain's nothing but a joke to you anyway."

"Pain? 'Think you're being a bit melodramatic there?"

"I'm the romance psycho-analyzer, remember? Everything you do is like x100 to me."

"I had no idea. I'll be more careful with your red, squishy feeling from now on, Pupa."

"Oh, shut your damn mouth. You know…I don't have any psychic powers like the other lowbloods. So, maybe this is my field. Maybe it's something unique to redbloods. I don't know. It's not like there are any mutants around to ask."

"Didn't you have an ancestor, though?"

"Shut up. I hate him more than I hate future and past me combined."

"Really? But past you is so much fun. And it's easier to talk to future you about stuff."

"You've…talked to him about stuff…?"

"Of course!"

"Terezi…" he softly groaned, "I told you not to do that."

"But future you told me to! And he's a leadertroll too."

"So what if he is? He's a douche."

"Karkat." She turned on her side and put a hand on his elbow, "Don't you notice a pattern when you talk to your future and past selves?"

"Fuck, Terezi." He shrugged her hand off, "I get the pattern. I'm not that much of an idiot."

"Then why do you never listen to future you, and why is past you always trying to argue?"

He was quiet as the wind whistled through the warm azure sky and swept through his hair.

"Rose would know. If you don't we could always—"

"We're not asking that flighty broad. She pulls that therapist shit and figures out too much. It's maddening. No. We're not fucking asking her."

"Why? It's because you already know, don't you?"

He was silent again for a while, and brought his arms around his knees.

"I'm not an idiot, Terezi. Of course I do."

"And yet…?"

"And yet fucking what?"

"You do nothing to fix the problem. I know Rose is sometimes intrusive—"

"Not to mention a drunk."

"—but she's good at what she does. And it's her way of saying she wants to help."

"Did future me put you up to this? There's no way you came up with this sappy bullshit on your own."

"Hehe!"

"Shit."

"He's not all that bad a guy. Maybe you should try having an actually conversation with him."

"And now he's pulling a double reacharound to get you to make me talk to him. He probably has all these graphs and charts and shit and has been mapping out this conversation this entire time."

"You should talk to him, though. You know you're inevitably going to."

"Yeah, so? What's the point of even talking to him if he doesn't tell me anything about the future?"

"Shouldn't you trust that he has his reasons not to?"

"I don't trust him."

"Gosh, you are being so impossible! I was even using my nice voice!"

"Couldn't really tell the difference."

"Well, whatever. There's no way to talk about that with you anymore. Future you told me to give up half-way through."

"What a relief. That's not what I came out here to talk to you about, anyway."

"Oh?"

"Yeah. I was thinking, about what I told you when we were about to go through with exiling the queen."

"You've been reading old chat logs again?"

"No. But, um, I was thinking. Fuck. I just. I think I'm going to tell them soon, since, you know, I promised you I would."

"And since they respect you as the big-shot leadertroll?"

"No. Honestly, I don't see that ever happening. They're just a bunch of wrigglers who can't see the amazing leadership skills I so clearly possess."

"Clearly."

"Yes. Clearly. And, I don't know, I figure you've noticed. My blood pigment is starting to fill my irises. I think I'd like to tell them before they figure it out themselves."

"How do you think Gamzee would take it? I mean, he is a highblood and heck if propaganda isn't a powerful thing. Are you sure you can hug your way out of that?"

"I can shoosh-pap that fucker to oblivion, are you kidding me?"

"What about Kanaya? She is a rainbow drinker now and I'd doubt she's ever had candy apple blood yet."

"She could always just bite the humans."

"But she doesn't. So, maybe it is a good sign. Maybe we're just being paranoid about it."

"We? Why'd you be paranoid?"

"Karkat. If we were back on Alternia and anyone found out about your blood, they wouldn't hesitate to host a public execution. Like I said, the government used so much propaganda and that's the only way a troll knows. They spend their whole lives living by that order. It'd be a bit difficult to accept that their friend is not even on the hemospectrum."

"That still doesn't explain why you would be. So there are risks. You shouldn't care one way or another."

"Idiot." She mumbled, "Why wouldn't I care what happens to you?"

"Because all you like to do for fun is get me upset, and talk to Dave just to get me jealous, and go on and on about how much you love candy apples the best. I'd assume if I was culled you'd be happy about all of the candy apples everywhere."

She slapped him.

Hard.

She immediately jumped to her feet and set off running, a glittering tail of teal tears streaming out behind her.

_AN:_

_Okay, well, this didn't go the way I thought it would. But suddenly I was typing and this happened and I think I'm going to leave it this way. Karkat angst and Karkat x Terezi awaits us in the next chapter, rest assured._

_Also, a light dusting of John x Jade. _

_That is…_if_ you review. _


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: Nyahh!

**fruiTmajik, owl7498, extraterrestrialAnchovy.**

_They are so much better than you in every way, shape, or form._

* * *

The diluted teal residue was leaving palpable stains on her skirt. The thing was an alchemized mix between some of her and Rose's clothes, so the white broadcasted her distress with alarming clarity. But she had no time to worry about such mundane things.

She had stopped running when she got out of the clearing and into the forested areas, sinking to her knees at the base of a sickly oak. She figured that was probably her fault. Lubress was beautiful, truly, but it was dying slowly. Just like the rest of them.

She was a fool to believe there was hope —

...or maybe it wasn't hope that she had believed in so faithfully, after all.

Maybe, in her own sociopathic, selfish way, it had been because she cares for him more than she should. Maybe those long days teasing him in the veil, subjecting him to torture at jealousy's hand, those accompanied eves spent when Lubress experienced violent thunderstorms, comforting him from nightmares not even sopor slime could sooth, there was something beyond his candy red blood that she loved. But all of those what-ifs and maybes…they didn't matter now.

Her chest began to convulse and her side flared in vigorous heat. Suddenly, her hips and waist were turned into two attracting magnets, pushing her two sides together with such force, that she yelled so loud those flappy, blue doodad-animals flew away. Aradia had told her about this — warned her about this. The grub was coming. The grub was coming and she was here in the woods and there was no one and no one would know and if this wasn't handled properly, didn't she run the risk of dying and how could she ever get back to one of the towns now and it hurt so badly and —

"Terezi!"

Candy corn.

Soft licorice.

…candy red.

Diluted candy red that smelled more like cherries than apples.

"Terezi, I…"

Even if she couldn't see with smell, it was obvious by his tone that there were tears pricking the base of his eyes. She wiped her own away and smiled her signature, wild smile.

"Nubby. You smell like pathetic worry." She cackled, the tears stitched in her own voice ruining the effect she hoped to have. The pain she felt had subsided significantly, so it was perceptively just a kick she had experienced earlier.

"Fuck, Terezi, let's ditch the flippant sociopath and hopeless romantic routine shit for just a fucking second. You're upset. You have every right to be mad at me. Fuck, I'm sorry. I…" He sunk to her level and put a firm grip on her wrist.

"I…That, what I said, it…it wasn't supposed to be an insult to you. It was for me. Remember that asshole? The one who's here and so fucking sorry? I never thought that…I… never fucking _think_. I should've known how you felt. I'm the feelings expert, after all. But still, I never thought you'd care this much…So it was really a jab at myself. How much I was worth. I didn't realize…Fuck, Terezi, I'm just a self-loathing, hypocritical freak and when you found out about my blood…I thought something changed. Because you just threw yourself at the Dave human…I thought it was to get away from me…I thought you meant to scare me off or something, tell me you're not interested in a sadistically polite way. I didn't want to take the hint, though because I…because I fucking love you, okay?"

There was a pause as they stared at each other wide-eyed, both enveloped in shock. He tore his hand off her and candy apples soon beat the cherries out in dominance.

"So…it was really a hyperbolic stab at my own mutant blood and my own mutant feelings. So don't cry. Don't fucking cry, I don't want to be the one who makes you cry." In a burst of courage, he snapped his arms around her, effectively pinning her into a tight bear-hug. She sighed and he let go.

"Idiot." She mumbled, "I don't care about your blood. I mess with the coolkid 'cause it's fun, and I mess with you because you're adorable. You should know this."

"I know, I…I'm sorry—"

"Enough. I've heard enough. Now aren't you going to help a lady up? I'm pretty sure I'm sitting on dirt."

_AN:_

_I wrote this in ten minutes and gave myself a huge headache. Running track and lack of food has turned me into human pudding soup. Just gonna curl up like a possum and die now. _

_(Don't forget to review, my pretties~~) _


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